A Hanyou's Tears
by daeyeth
Summary: Delves into the childhood of Inu Yasha, his relationship with Sesshoumaru, and why Inu Yasha always wanted to be a full-blooded demon. [One-Shot]


Author's Notes: Inu Yasha is physically around the age of 8 or 9 and Sesshoumaru is physically around the age of 15 or 16. And I suppose this has a hint of Alternate Universe-ish in it.  
  
Hanyou = half-demon  
Oniisan = older brother  
  
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A Hanyou's Tears  
  
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"MONSTER!"  
  
"FREAK!"  
  
"HANYOU!"  
  
"Awww, look at the stupid hanyou cry! HA!"  
  
"That's right, run you monster, RUN! Hahaha!"  
  
"Hahaha."  
  
He hated them. He hated all of them. The demons, the humans, he hated the world. The bruised boy angrily rubbed away the tears in his eyes. He missed his mother but he knew she was never coming back. He was alone. He would always be alone. In the darkness, his heightened smell noticed another presence, some where out there in the dark, cold night.  
  
"Who-who's there?!"  
  
He hoped it wasn't those bullies from before. He was tired, sore, and emotionally drained.  
  
"Inu Yasha," the voice in the darkness stated with dismal. The young hanyou whipped his head toward the voice to see a teenage demon stepping out from the black shadows.  
  
"Sesshoumaru..." Inu Yasha growled. There was no love lost between the two siblings. He hated his older half-brother. He had been fighting with Sesshoumaru ever since he could remember, since the very first time he met him. He remembered the condescending glare Sesshoumaru gave him, the one that always enraged and provoked him. 'Weakling half-breed' Sesshoumaru had always called him.  
  
"What do you want!" Inu Yasha yelled at him, getting into a fighting stance.  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked. "Hmph. I am not here to fight you. Not this time. I was merely passing through. I sensed you. Or rather," he began, his smirk turning into a frown of distaste. "I smelled your blood. Tell me Inu Yasha. Why is it you let those pathetic humans push you around so?"  
  
Inu Yasha glared angrily at Sesshoumaru. "I-I don't! Th-they always outnumber me and--"  
  
"Is that your excuse?" Sesshoumaru scoffed. "You want to know why you always lose to those foolish humans? Because you are a hanyou. The human blood within you holds you back."  
  
"Wh-what?"  
  
"A true demon fights as if every battle is a fight to the death. I have seen you Inu Yasha. You are defeated before the battle has even begun. You cherish life too much."  
  
_'He watches me...?'_  
  
"You do not have the bloodlust of a demon. You do not have the POWER of a demon. That is why you always lose. Because you a weakling hanyou. Because of your mother."  
  
Inu Yasha's eyes caught on fire. "Shut up!!"  
  
"Why? Because it is the truth?" Sesshoumaru shook his head. "You will not survive in this world if you don't see the reality of it."  
  
"SHUT UP! I don't need you're advice! I can take care of myself!" He knew reality. He knew that no one would ever accept him for who he was.  
  
_'I don't need his damn sympathy!'_ the hanyou thought, fuming._ 'I don't need him looking down at me! I...I don't need ANYONE! I'll show him...I'll show everyone that I'm not just some weak half-breed!'_ Angry, unwanted tears trickled down his cheeks. He would go up against the world and win one day. He would show them that he was not some helpless hanyou.  
  
"I-I...I'll s-show you..." the boy stuttered through his hiccups of tears. "I...I-I'm n-not w-weak--"  
  
A backhand cuffed him across the face and sent Inu Yasha sprawling into the ground.  
  
"You will not cry in my presence. Get up you filthy hanyou."  
  
Inu Yasha slowly recovered from his surprise to lift himself off the forest floor. He stared at his despised older brother, growling with rage.  
  
Sesshoumaru returned the gaze without emotion. "That's it. Become angry. Feel the bloodlust boiling within you. I will no longer see you beaten down as if you were a stray dog. It disgusts me. I am tired of seeing you disgrace our family. You, Inu Yasha, hanyou or not, carry the same blood as Father and I. From now on, I will not see you cry yourself to sleep like a pathetic human. Demons do not cry. They kill, they fight, they reign over the humans like the ants they are. You have the blood of a Greater Demon flowing within you, so act like it. The next time you get into a fight, you will fight as if your life depended on it. You will fight like a demon."  
  
Inu Yasha felt the stoic gaze of Sesshoumaru hardening, freezing his blood cold. He felt fear as he looked Sesshoumaru back in the eyes. The crimson red eyes of a true demon.  
  
"If you do not...I will kill you."  
  
= = = = = = = = =  
  
He could feel them following him. Was it the same humans from before? That couldn't be...he was rather far from town. Even if it was however, he would show them this time. He was fully healed and he was ready now. He would show that bastard Sesshoumaru what he could. Quickly hiding himself in the shadows, he extended his senses to track his stalkers. His eyes widened. This wasn't the scent of humans. This was the scent of full-blooded demons.  
  
"Well, well, well...what do we have here?"  
  
"Feh, just a stupid hanyou."  
  
"And here I was looking for a tasty human for breakfast..."  
  
There was three of them. They weren't the mindless type either. They could communicate and think. He...he was scared. They were demons, not humans. He could smell their bloodlust rolling off them. They were stronger than him. Much stronger. They would tear him apart.  
  
"Hahaha, look at him! He's shaking!"  
  
"Heh, I think the hanyou wants to run."  
  
He could make it. The waterfall. He knew the area well, he could lose them there.  
  
"You wanna run hanyou? Do you? Go ahead, RUN! We like to play with our food before we eat."  
  
"Hahahaha."  
  
...no. No. He promised himself he would show the world his strength. He would show Sesshoumaru not to look down at him. Unleashing a blood curdling cry, Inu Yasha leaped at the closest demon and swiped at his face. The demon was so startled at the attack that he allowed the hanyou to violently gouge out his left eye. The injured hunter screamed out in pain, clutching his face with his hands, and looked in disbelief at the boy.  
  
"Y-You...YOU...I'LL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF YOU WORTHLESS HANYOU!!"  
  
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His breathing was haggard and hoarse. His vision, blurred and shaken. His mouth was filled with salty blood that dripped down his chin. He couldn't even feel his face. Large gashes, cuts, and bruises were scattered throughout his small, numb body. With his senses shot, he staggered his way through the dark forest. He didn't know where he was going. They were still behind him, closing in. What was he doing? Where was he going?  
  
A familiar scent.  
  
"Inu Yasha?" a voice asked quizzically.  
  
The boy tried to lift his half open eyes to the source of the voice. Who...who was it? Slowly, recognition donned on him as the silhouette of Sesshoumaru became visible.  
  
"I...I d-did it," Inu Yasha managed. The little strength that he kept him up left him as he fell backward roughly to the ground. Despite everything, the young hanyou wore a grim smile. "I-I sh-sh-showed them...."  
  
Sesshoumaru, with a look of absolute amazement and surprise on his face, knelt down beside Inu Yasha. "What has happened to you?"  
  
"Th-they...th-the demons ambushed m-me..." The child was forced to pause as he coughed up blood in a fit. "I f-fought them l-like a real d-demon though, like y-you said to..." Tears welled up in Inu Yasha's eyes. The salty liquid mixed with his blood and trickled down the sides of his face. "I-I'm sorry...I...I'm t-trying not to c-cry..."  
  
"It's...do not worry about it...Inu Yasha..." Sesshoumaru hesitated momentarily before gently taking Inu Yasha into his arms, cradling his head. The demon's expression was unreadable.  
  


'He is dying....'  


  
"...d-do you...hate me?" Inu Yasha asked, his grim smile faltering.  
  
Although the question startled him, Sesshoumaru didn't hesitate in answering. "I do not hate you Inu Yasha. I never hated you."  
  
Inu Yasha smiled weakly again. "I-I'm sorry..."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked at Inu Yasha in wonder for a second, but then shook his head. "Do not speak anymore, you have lost much blood--"  
  
"--I'm s-sorry...Oniisan....f-for being a h-hanyou..." Inu Yasha finished sadly.  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and he felt his chest tighten up deep inside. A lump formed in the back of his throat as he began to speak. "I-Inu Yasha....don't be sorry. Today you have made me proud. You have made Father proud." He paused. "And I am sure your mother would be proud as well."  
  
More red tears rolled down the boy's cheeks. "I-I'm glad....." The last words were but a whisper as they left his lips.  
  
"Inu Yasha...? **INU YASHA?!**" Sesshoumaru clutched the boy tighter, his eyes fraught with shock, as Inu Yasha's breathing slowed and eventually stopped.   
  
_'I...I killed him...I sent him to his death.'_ Sesshoumaru felt a wetness slide down his skin. Surprised, he felt his cheeks.  
  
"Tears...?"  
  
A sudden thought jolted him as he realized something. _'Tenseiga!!'_ Quickly, Sesshomaru took out the sword from his side. He looked down at the dead body of his half-brother. "Inu Yasha..." With one hard motion, he stabbed the sword down into the boy's breastplate, then took it out. The body lay there, lifeless. Anxiety built up. For a moment, Sesshomaru feared and doubted the powers of the magical sword Tenseiga, but not a second after that thought Inu Yasha's chest rose as the boy took a deep breath. Sesshoumaru, relieved, released the breath he had not known he was holding.  
  
"Where is that damn hanyou?"  
  
"This way. I can smell his sour blood over here."  
  
Three demons emerged from the shadows and were met by Sesshoumaru, who stood in front the recovering Inu Yasha. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Unknown to them, Inu Yasha slowly awoke from his slumber.  
  
_'I...I'm alive...?'_  
  
"You three. Are you the ones that have injured my little brother?" His voice was cold and thick with an underlying rage.  
  
The three looked at the young Sesshoumaru in wonderment. Sesshoumaru was not yet a full grown demon while they were adults. They were amazed that a young demon as he would dare show such defiant eyes to them. "Little brother? You mean that stupid hanyou?"  
  
"What's it to you punk?"  
  
"If you don't wanna die, get out of our way!"  
  
Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth and balled his claws into fists, hard enough to draw blood from his own hand. ".....You......**YOU** **WORTHLESS SCUM**, **DEMONS WHO DON'T EVEN HAVE NAMES**...**DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?**" he screamed out in fury. His voice pierced the very souls of all who could hear, shaking the surrounding forest. A crimson glow began to fill the young demon's eyes. "**I AM SESSHOUMARU, SON OF A GREATER DEMON! YOU SHALL REMEMBER THIS NAME BECAUSE IT IS THE LAST YOU PITIFUL MAGGOTS WILL HEAR!!!!**"  
  
Inu Yasha saw and heard everything, his mouth agape. He watched in half amazement, half admiration as his older half-brother transformed into his true demonic form and tore apart his assailants with a berserker's ferocity. This is what made humans cry out in their sleep, their nightmares. This was the power that gods feared. This was the might of a demon.  
  
A real, full-blooded demon.  
  
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End file.
